Published: Sep 3, 2010 00:20 Updated: Sep 3, 2010 00:20
RAMALLAH: A senior Fatah official on Thursday said that the Palestinian leadership has gone to Washington for direct peace talks with Israelis without a "safety net" or promises it can rely on.
Mohammed Dahlan, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, said in a press statement that the spoken promises the US administration could not be trusted.
"I am convinced that America's mission is to satisfy (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu, and not to continue the peace process," Dahlan said.
He added that the US policy "will not bring peace, because on the core issues, one side will not change the stances it presented in the past."
The Fatah official accused US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell of leaving "his primary job as a negotiator and becoming Netanyahu's public relations person."
Dahlan said that the US pressured the Palestinians to go from indirect to direct talks because of "internal conflicts and Mitchell's failure to convince Netanyahu to make progress on any subject." "(Palestinian President) Mahmoud Abbas went to negotiations because of the Arab League not because of his personal opinion."
Meanwhile, Gaza-based Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahhar said there was no connection between this week's military attacks in the West Bank and the launching of direct peace negotiations.
Four Israeli occupiers were killed and two others were injured in two separate shooting attacks this week. Hamas' armed wing claimed responsibility for both attacks.
Al-Zahhar said the attempt to link the attacks to the peace talks is "fundamentally wrong," adding that the decision to carry out the attacks was made by "people in the field."
"People are saying that the timing of the attacks was deliberate, but this is not true. When people have an opportunity as well as capabilities and targets, they act. We will not bear responsibility for the failure of what is faulty at its foundation," Al-Zahhar said, referring to the possibility that the peace negotiations will collapse.
"We want Gaza to remain calm because we liberated it. At this time, we are not speaking of the liberation of all of Palestine. The current plan is to liberate the West Bank," the Hamas man said.
"If they (PA) succeed in doing so, we will give them credit. How was Gaza freed? Through negotiations? Of course not! The Israelis understood that (occupying Gaza) exacts a heavy price and chose to leave."
"The question is who is preventing resistance in the West Bank? asked Al-Zahhar. "They (PA) are by cooperating with Israel on security issues!"
Regarding the peace talks, the Hamas official said, "Its results are already known. The Israelis are united with regard to Jerusalem, and the Palestinian side will get nothing. Secondly, the refugees -- who can convince the (Palestinian) refugees in Jordan, Syria or Lebanon to accept what is being proposed?
"Abu Mazen (Abbas) will conduct himself as Abu Ammar (Yasser Arafat) did -- he will not give up on the principles and the issue will be over," Al-Zahhar stated.
 ¬
Loading comments ...